we're here!

When Stephen and I got to Seattle we set up camp in a hotel with plans to search for an apartment. We had an apartment ready and waiting, but it was a little further away from campus than we wanted and a little more expensive than we wanted. So the search started. The first few places we went to look at were nice, well really they were just 'ok', but they didn't feel like home. After living out of a suitcase and being homeless since May, I was looking forward to walking into a place and just knowing that that's where we were going to live and bring our baby home to. I didn't want to have to fix it up or try to make it look nice, I just wanted it to be nice. Apparently, I was asking a lot. The closer you get to the University, the more expensive the apartment, also the smaller, and the not so nice. Our back up plan was looking more and more appealing as the first two days in Seattle came to a close.
On Tuesday Stephen received an email from student housing saying that we'd been accepted into a building called Stephen's Court (how appropriate, right?). We applied for student housing in January and knew the building was just blocks away from the hospital and had super cheap rent, but we also knew it was married housing...with no kids. Since I had called them in June when I found out I was pregnant to let them know, I was surprised they gave us this offer. Did they expect us to move in and then move out three months from now? We gave them a call to see if there was anything they could do to move us into married housing with kids, which just happens to be where both our good friends are living. Really long story short, they could! It was a difficult process and took many phone calls and emails and a lot of persistence on our end, but just one day later we were handed a key to our new home! And that's exactly what it felt like when we walked through the door, HOME! (Pictures will come later; we're still waiting on a truck load of furniture my parents are driving up this weekend!) It just couldn't be more perfect. And neither could Seattle! Since we've been here we haven't seen one drop of rain! (I know it's coming!) Everything is green and blooming, the University is stunning and just minutes away from our house, we live right next to our friends and the shopping village ;)
We've been trying to squeeze in as much fun as we can before Stephen starts school and I start work. Blackberry picking on campus, walking everywhere! (I missed living so close to everything in Anchorage!), going to the market, dinner parties with friends, exploring campus and downtown, going to the beach, watching a UW soccer game, getting our home set up... Our summer vacation was a blast, and one we will never forget, but we are both so happy to be home. I know Stephen is anxious for school to start (and I'm not looking forward to missing him so dang much!), but we're truly excited for this next chapter in our lives and all that it holds!

Bring it on, Seattle!